How will tundra plants change as flooding and warming increases?How will warming and flooding affect the tundra ecosystem?

YK Delta Broader Impacts: Tracking Change, Sharing Stories

Researchers from across the United States have spent several summers in Old Chevak, Alaska, studying how the plants and animals of the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta may respond to a warming climate. How will rising temperatures and increased flooding affect plant communities? Will these changes lead to more carbon being stored in the soil—or more greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere? And how might these shifts influence the animals and people who depend on the land?

This research is guided by six hypotheses aimed at modeling and predicting future ecological conditions in the YK Delta. The resources linked here share scientists’ data with students, educators, and communities across Alaska, connecting science with stories and data with daily life.

Classroom teachers and educators can use the video stories in “Working Together” to explore the phenomena that inspired this research collaboration. Students can engage directly with the data by completing one of the Data Nuggets featured in the Lessons menu. We invite you to extend your inquiry into these phenomena by exploring the additional resources shared on this site.